Pat Duke on Gardening: Don't forget snowdrops and hyacinths for your spring bulbs

Whilst no-one of sound mind is complaining about this, it’s a good thing to be planning and plotting which spring bulbs to plant when autumn finally does announce its arrival, usually with a truck load of swirling leaves and the whiff of woodsmoke.

People generally think of spring bulbs as crocuses and daffodils but there are so many more easy bulbs just to drop in for low effort colour. Some even come out before spring which is always a thrill. Think snowdrops and hyacinths for example.

Excluding tulips, which go in around late October or November as they love the wet and cold weather, there is the snakehead fritillary which is a must for any wet or boggy areas alongside camassia’s, anemones, erythronium and English bluebells.

No cottage garden is complete without alliums coming through much taller above or between the shrubs and daffodils like static fireworks. They are relatively inexpensive and can do a great job providing later spring colour just when you thought all the bulbs had shown themselves.

If you want to start a conversation with neighbours or a passer by in spring, then put in some Imperial fritillary. They are intriguing plants and look like they could easily be found on the floor of an unexplored jungle. Like most genus of commercially available plants they come in a range of colours and sizes.

All of the above will be available later in the year in plant form just to drop in but will be much more expensive at that point so it makes sense to draw out a plan alongside a shopping list for bulbs. Plant them where they will look good together and try and think about when they will come out so you can have a constant stream of colour. Daffodils come out between December and April depending on the variety. For example ‘Rjindvelds Early’ can be out in December while the seductive ‘Pheasants Eye’ is more sleepy and appears around mid April.

On the Plot

It’s tidy up time for tomatoes, chillies and tomatoes. Their singed paper leaves need removing as well as ripe fruits. Give the plants a chance to experience a draft that will deter any bacteria we don’t want in there. Fruits will ripen quicker with more access to light and air so you won’t be frustrated with hard green fruits when the light starts to fade and it gets cooler.

Trim the woody plants in the herb bed now like lavender and rosemary. The flowers should have dried out by now. Leave the ones that haven't as the bees love noisily hovering over them.

The celeriac is fist sized at the moment and they will need a regular dose of water or Aunt Melinda won’t get to make her famous remoulade and I’ll be in trouble. At this time of year the molluscs on the plot seem to gravitate towards them, hiding in the crisp leaves overnight for an early morning sortie. Clearing the leaves will prevent this in part but watering them will speed up growth and help them survive by sheer size alone.

I know it sounds dull, but keep sowing winter lettuce and lambs lettuce. Keep them covered and they'll give you a decent crop when there’s not much around. Planning ahead like this is essential in every garden. I often think in terms of an admin department for planning and a works department for gardening as the golden ticket of horticultural endeavour.

There is also a lot of free hedgerow fruit to be picking and preserved in terms of sloes and fat blackberries. Something to look forward to when the sun finally does start to lower its temperature.